July 26, 2023
Description
Ultimute - The Ultimate Mute Button is... well, the ultimate mute button.
After over a year in home office and countless video conferences, i got tired of always having to switch windows/tabs and then find the mute/unmute button of the respective platform, so i built this button that allows me to globally mute/unmute my microphone.
Is this a totally overengineered solution to a problem that could be fixed a lot easier, e.g. by using just a hotkey on my keyboard? Absolutely. Did i already mention that it has RGB LEDs?
It uses a SparkFun Pro Micro to send a hotkey via USB to the computer it is attached to, and shows the current mute/unmute status via four WS2812b (or similar) LEDs that illuminate the dome, which rests on four 6x6mm switches.
You can toggle between mute/unmute via a double-tap of the button, which will change the colour between red (unmuted) and green (muted). Keeping the button pressed while either muted or unmuted will switch the current status until the button is released again. This allows you to use it as a push-to-talk (PTT) button. While in PTT mode, the dome will pulsate in the respective color of the current mode.
If you can't remember which color is which mode: red means danger (of being heard).
The source code is available here: https://git.faked.org/jan/ultimute
Recommended software: https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys (>= v0.36.0)
Printer:
Voron v2.4 #1166
Rafts:
No
Supports:
Yes
Resolution:
0.2
Infill:
20
Filament:
any PETG is recommended, but anything will workblack / transparent
Notes:
"Ultimute Top.stl" needs supports and must be printed twice.
"Ultimute LED Holder.stl" must be printed four times.
Putting it all together
Electronics
You will need:
* 1* SparkFun Pro Micro 5V(!) (or any similar chinesium clone that has an ATmega32U4) * 4* WS2812b (or similar, any addressable RGB LED should work if you modify the code appropriately) * 4* 6x6mm switches (those square clicky ones with the four legs) * 4* M3x10 (or longer) countersunk bolts (DIN 7991) * some lengths of wire to hook it all up * 1* Micro USB cable * basic soldering tools and skillsPush the switches from below into the cutouts in the Switch Mount Upper part and connect them in parallel (we don't care which one triggers), then connect the last one's legs to GND and pin 2 on the Pro Micro.
Cut the WS2812b into four separate, individual segments, make sure to pay attention in which direction Data In points, the connect them all with enough wire so they can each rest on one of the LED Holders, then connect the first LED's pads to VCC, GND and pin 3.
Stuff the SparkFun Pro Micro into the Base and tidy things up so that the LEDs don't get blocked, put a Micro USB cable through the opening and connect it.
You can find the very basic source code here: https://git.faked.org/jan/ultimute (use Platform.IO to compile and upload the firmware).
Software
You can use any microphone-muting software you like, as long as it supports hotkeys.
Well, you can of course also use any other software you like, if you have any purpose for a button that sends a hotkey... as long as that software supports hotkeys.
If you're feeling fancy, you can also rewrite the firmware and have it do other things, e.g. send a whole text like your email signature.
Or you can just enjoy having a button that glows and pulsates when you use it. No software or even computer needed, in that case.
Anyways, on Windows i would recommend the latest version (v0.36.0 or higher) of the Microsoft PowerToys (https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys), which include a "Video Conference Mute" feature. This allows you to toggle your microphone(s) with WIN + SHIFT + A by default, which is also the hotkey the Ultimute firmware is configured to send.
License:
Creative Commons — Attribution — Noncommercial — Share Alike
jangrewe
